Chapter 35

Rachel

Kyp had managed to get his mom’s car back from the shop while I had my escapade—unwittingly attempting to destroy our relationship with my impulsivity and anger yesterday—so today we rode together in his truck.

Tension crackled the air between us. Wolf whined, dying a little on the inside as Kyp—still my boyfriend…I thought—drove, looking straight ahead, a line creasing his forehead as his eyebrows nearly met. Wolf nudged me. This needed to air.

“Kyp,” I ventured before my courage could leave me.

He startled and glanced over at me. “Yeah?”

I wet my lips. “I’m still sorry. About yesterday.”

His face softened as his eyes went back to the road. “I’m sorry you got hurt,” he said quietly. Unease slithered in my belly. Was he also sorry we had all this weirdness between us now? Did he regret not completely breaking up with me?

“I hate this tension between us,” I blurted.

Kyp glanced at the clock on the dash and then pulled off the road. We weren’t quite in town yet, and wide meadows sparkled outside the windows as the early morning sunlight hit the frost.

Kyp looked at me, a helpless expression on his face. “I don’t know what to do,” he finally admitted.

“About what?” I bit my lip, afraid the death knell of our relationship was coming now that he’d thought more about it last night.

He shrugged, glancing back out the front windshield again. “Any of it. I don’t know how to be your Alpha. I don’t know how to be your boyfriend.” He drifted off, not looking at me. Wolf nudged me. I knew Kyp well enough to know he was having a crisis of confidence. But maybe it meant that his thoughts were pinwheeling more about his own behavior, rather than mine.

“Kyp, you are a wonderful boyfriend. Not that we’ve been doing this very long, but still. You are an amazing friend. And you’ve protected me and saved my life several times already. How can you think you’re not a good Alpha?”

His shoulders sagged.

“I still want this. Do you?”

His gaze tore from the glittering frost to my face. “I do, Rachel. I just don’t know how.”

“I don’t know how either, or know any different, for that matter.” I gave him a small smile. “Can we figure it out together?” I reached my hand across the seat, palm up.

Slowly his slid on top of mine, gripping it tightly. “Yeah.” His voice was hoarse.

****

School was exhausting. It dragged. And dragged. By the time play practice rolled around, I just wanted a hug and a cup of coffee.

We still had the stupid greenery to finish. Every time I saw a bush or clump of ivy, it made me think of green paint. And how badly I wanted Kyp to kiss me again. We’d tried to be normal at school, but there was still this underlying tension that we just could not seem to get rid of. I didn’t know if it was me or him, but it was there, and I still hated it. It was better than it had been, but almost like a third person in our relationship.

“Rachel, are you sure this is the right shade of green? I think we used a darker one yesterday. Doesn’t this look lighter to you?” someone called as they waved a paintbrush over a plump bush. It was the last straw. I wanted to snap.

“Ask Luke.” I took myself backstage to collect my tattered emotions and be alone for just a moment. I was going to combust under all this pressure.

“Hey.” Kyp’s voice was quiet as he materialized from the shadows.

I swiped a hand over my face and dragged my red curls away from my eyes. “I really need a hug,” I blurted.

“I have one of those.” A smile teased his mouth, though his eyes were serious. “But I think they work best if both parties hug the other at the same time.”

“Agreed,” the word slid from my lips in a rush as I reached my arms up around his neck. His hands tentatively encircled my waist. “Nnmm. You have to give it with your whole self. Otherwise, it doesn’t count.” I squeezed him extra tight and felt it when he let go of whatever awkwardness that was holding him back. His arms tightened and he took a shuddering breath against my hair. Tension ebbed from my shoulders as we stood there, arms around each other, trying to silently mend what had gone wrong between us.

Kyp’s phone vibrated. I frowned, irritated at the intrusion. I wasn’t done with my hug yet. I was going to ignore it, but Kyp pulled back.

He scowled. “It’s Sam. Have to take it,” he whispered. His voice was rough. He quickly released me, leaving me cold in the absence of his arms, and fished his phone out of his pocket.

“Hey,” he said into the phone, his face and voice showing none of the displeasure I was feeling. My insides writhed. Was he glad for the intrusion?

Kyp’s expression shifted. His eyebrows rose and his mouth thinned. Sam was quiet enough on the other end that I couldn’t hear the conversation, even though I was close to the phone.

“All right. We’ll be right there.”

Unease gathered in my belly and roused Wolf. Something was not right.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as soon as he hung up the phone.

“I’m not sure, but something’s up. We need to leave. Now. Greenery will have to be finished by other people.”